Addendum to the Draft Preamble toThe Criminal Code of the R.S.F.S.R. and a Letter to D. I. Kursky[1]

Written:Written May 15, 1922Published:First published in part in 1937 in the journalBolshevikNo. 2.

      Published in full in 1964 in the Fifth Russian Edition of theCollected Works, Vol. 45.

      Printed from the manuscript.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1971,

      Moscow,Volume 42,

      page419.Translated:Bernard IsaacsTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaandD. WaltersPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2004).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

Preamble to the Criminal Code of the R.S.F.S.R.

ComradeKursky,

Ithink the application of the death sentence should be extended
(commutable to deportation). See1st line down—to all forms of
activity by the Mensheviks,S.R.s and so on;

tobe formulated so as to identify these acts with those of theinternational bourgeoisieand their struggle against us (bribing
the press and agents, working for war and so on).

Pleasereturn urgently with your comments.

[1]Thesedocuments were written by Lenin in connection with the drafting
of the Criminal Code of the R.S.F.S.R. by the People’s Commissariat for
Justice and its discussion at the Third Session of the Ninth Convocation of
the All-Russia Central Executive Committee, which took place from May 12 to
26, 1922. The addenda and the first letter were written by Lenin to the
draft “Preamble to the Criminal Code of the R.S.F.S.R.” sent him by
D. I. Kursky, People’s Commissar for Justice. After a talk with Kursky on
this question, Lenin wrote his second letter with the rough draft of an
additional Article to the Criminal Code.Lenin’s proposals were taken into consideration during the later drafting
of the section of the Criminal Code dealing with “Counter-Revolutionary
Crimes”.

TheCriminal Code of the R.S.F.S.R. was endorsed by the Third Session
of the All-Russia C.E.C. and put in force on June 1, 1922 (seeCollection of Statutes and Decrees of the Workers’ and Peasants’
Government(Russ. ed.), Moscow, 1922, No. 15, June 1, Article 153,
pp. 202–39).